Tuesday, 19 February 2019

SOUTH African
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to lead a high-powered delegation
to Zimbabwe next month to discuss bilateral issues affecting the two
countries.In a statement, South Africa’s International Relations and
Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said top on the agenda would be the
issue of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.“We are preparing for a bi-national meeting with Zimbabwe on March
12, 2019. Our President (Ramaphosa) will lead the delegation to Harare. I
thought by now sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe Government and its people
would be lifted to enable the country to start afresh after all the
challenges they have gone through,” she said in a statement posted on
the department’s official Twitter account.“We call on EU and particularly the United Kingdom (UK) to give the
Government and the people of Zimbabwe a chance to change their situation
by urgently lifting the sanctions. Without lifting the sanctions, the
Government of Zimbabwe will never be able to address its economic
challenges, and this is compromising the political gains achieved since
the coming in of the new President.”

Minister Sisulu said Zimbabwe and South Africa have strong ties dating back to the days of the liberation struggle.She wished Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is not feeling well, speedy recovery.Recently, President Ramaphosa took the campaign against illegal
sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe to the 49th edition of the World Economic
Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.Last year, President Ramaphosa, also called on the European Union
(EU) to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe saying the country has turned a
wonderful corner and needs support on its path to great reforms.

He made the call to EU leaders during last year’s 7th South Africa
European Union Summit in Brussels, Belgium, where they discussed a
number of issues around trade, climate change, women’s rights among
other global issues.Upon his assumption of office as the Head of State and Government in
November 2017, President Mnangagwa’s first foreign visit was to South
Africa.He met President Ramaphosa and former President Jacob Zuma as part of moves to deepen economic ties between Harare and Pretoria. Herald